1. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Organizational Conflict

2. Conflict Definition “A process that begins when one party perceives another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about.” This can range from a simple difference of opinion to overt acts of violence Is organizational conflict negative or positive?

3. Conflict Definition “A process that begins when one party perceives another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about.” This can range from a simple difference of opinion to overt acts of violence Is organizational conflict negative or positive? Yes

4. Conflict Cultures Embrace & Manage SuppressIndulge Traditional View of Conflict Interactionist View of Conflict Resolution Focused View of Conflict

5. Antecedents to Conflict Communication – Either too much or too little Structure – Jurisdictional ambiguity and interdependence Personal Variables – I hate you and you hate me

6. Types of Conflict Task Conflict – Is related to goals and the actual work that gets done Process Conflict – This is related to how the work gets done Relationship Conflict – This is related to interpersonal relationship breakdowns

7. Conflict Handling Intentions Compromise Win-Lose Win-Win Lose-Win Lose-Lose

8. Conflict Outcomes

10. Supervisor Involvement When does a supervisor become a “conflict resolver?” When a law, policy, or rule is being broken When the involved parties’ performance starts to suffer When the climate gets so bad that morale or other employee’s performance begins to suffer

11. Supervisor’s Role Mediator – a “neutral” third party who facilitates a resolution by “forcing” the conflicting parties to come together and by encouraging honest communication. Non-Coercive and unbiased Arbitrator – A third party who can dictate an agreement on the conflicting parties. Because it’s a “forced” solution conflict may arise again.

12. Conflict Management Techniques Resolution – Problem Solving Superordinate Goals Expansion of Resources Avoidance Smoothing Compromise Authoritative Command Altering the Human Variables Altering the Structural Variables

13. Conflict Management Techniques Stimulation – Communication Bringing Outsiders Restructuring the Organization Appointing a Devil’s Advocate

15. Modeling the Way See/Hear Tell a Story Feel Act Path to Action Don’t Confuse Stories With Facts Ask Yourself “Why Would a Decent Person do This?” Check Your Perceptions by Telling at Least Two Stories to Every Situation Use Your Self-Awareness and Self-Control Crucial Conversations: Tools for talking when the stakes are high. Patterson, Greeny, et al.

18. Organizational Conflict Functional Conflict vs. Dysfunctional Conflict Don’t let Process and Task Conflict Become Relationship Conflict The Conflicts That Cause the Most Trouble are Those That are Never Addressed Directly